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Have been taking Candesartan 16mg tablets for 6 yrs

Posted , 6 users are following.

sandra70591
sandra70591

I am looking for advice on High Blood pressure. I am 51 year old female , don't smoke, would probably be overweight by a stone and drinks occasionally. I have been on the above medication for 6 years regular check ups all fine avarage blood pressure  around 145/80 mark give or take. Last was check in Nov when I had an operation all was fine. Went to GP today for something else was checked for blood pressure as I was there and it was 181/89 never been so high. I have been asked to check daily for a week and then go back and if still high will need to discuss changes to medication.

Questions can Vagifem (HRT) increase blood pressure as I have been taking since my operation . Can powder laxatives increase blood pressure high salt content. Can someones blood pressure rise so much so quickly when everything has been fine for years. It appears this has all started to come on after my operation.

Unfortautely my doctors just seem to dish out tablets very quickly and I do not wish to take more or different medication as I dont have any side effects on Candesartan. My GP says all new mediaction would not make any difference and it is just one of those things.

What do you all think and advise or information to go armed with next week would be good.

Sandra

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • AlexandriaGizmo
    AlexandriaGizmo sandra70591

    Posted

    Hi glad you have come through your op ok, were you anxious when you went Drs if so that could and can raise upper numbers by quite a lot, also could depend on what you were doing up to your test, if your average bp averages 145/80 then just being active will raise it.

    What is it at home, also check on line for interaction with said meds.

    Try not to worry and maybe take up some form of activity to lose the weight, even a stone can make a difference.

    • sandra70591
      sandra70591 AlexandriaGizmo

      Posted

      Hi Alexandria

      I am always anxious when I go to the doctors but I have double checked at home a couple of hours later and it is roughly the same . I will be going back to walking and using my exercise bike now I have been told by my consultant at the hospital. I have not been able to do this until now.

      My doctor always tries to panic you and the way spoke about the rise in blood pressure he led me to believe that the levels were  really high and that a heart attack or stroke were high.

      Surely this would not just happen when my pre op check covered an ECG test etc and all was completely normal.

      These GPs drive me mad.

      I will check daily for now and see how things go.

      Thanks for your advice.

      Sandra  

  • liz57
    liz57 sandra70591

    Posted

    Hi Sandra I've had HBP for 30 years .I   take bendroflumethazide and atenolol which are old drugs .Like you my BP has gone too high  so after a trial of another am on extra atenolol .Iused to  be on HRT -I 'm old now and BP stayed fine .I'm putting this raise now down to stress  ,I already take anxiety pills which probably no longer work .What laxative do you take ? I use Fybogel and Lactulose .I know we are not supposed to use  a lot of salt but it's hard to avoid .Maybe it's just post op .
  • jane243
    jane243 sandra70591

    Posted

    Stress from the op could account for the rise, have no idea about the HRT. If it's stress from the op then I would want longer than a week to allow it to settle back down. Too many drs are too quick to dish out the pills I so agree with you. I have my theory that they get paid for doing so; easier for them than expecting the patient to alter their lifestyle.

    You could start trying to lose that stone you mention and exercise if you don't already. Walking briskly 2 or 3 miles every day with the dog I'm certain helped my BP. I would not want to have the medication altered if candesartan suits you. I take Losartan [not sure of the difference between the two] but have no side effects either - unlike the ACE [Ramipril that I took before.

    I had a HUGE amount of stress over Christmas/New Year with my husband in hospital and a  diagnosis at the end no one wants to hear so I know how stress makes the BP rise. It has settled but a week would not have been long enough.

    There is a real danger too of being overmedicated and the BP going too low.

    • sandra70591
      sandra70591 jane243

      Posted

      Hi Jane

      Thanks for your response , its good to know that others think the same as me when it come to dishing out tablets. I can now go back to walking and I have an exercise bike at home as well, I have not been allowed to use it up until now but can now. I will start to work on losing the extra stone .

      I am going to keep a daily check at home and hopefully the blip in the rise of blood pressure will sort its self out.

      If not I am going to see if I can just increase the Candesartan and not take another medication.

      Thanks

      Sandra 

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo sandra70591

      Posted

      Ignore the first days bp as this is always disregarded, then twice morning after ten mins relaxing and same afternoon then after six day add all top and divide by 24 same dystolic this gives you your average which is what's used.

      Bet you all know this LOL

  • margaret53068
    margaret53068 sandra70591

    Posted

    I took mine at home for a week three times a day and wrote it down and took to the doctors proving I had white coat syndrome.  I convinced the doctor I did not need to increase dosage.  I did ask him if I took a higher dose would bp go too low and I could end up fainting, he just said you won't know until you try.  Too quick to  hand out the pills
    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo margaret53068

      Posted

      I had to do same and when I went the other day it was fine, how strange, did doing it every day decensitise my brain into not getting hung up on it?
  • sandra70591
    sandra70591

    Posted

    Many thanks for all your responses and information. I have just checked my blood pressure this morning at it is   167/87 so better than yesterday.

    Can I just ask you all what your average blood pressures are when you take your exisiting medication . ??? Are they all now within the normal range.

    Thanks

    Sandra

    • derek76
      derek76 sandra70591

      Posted

      I have been checking mine for 14 years  and it does not come down on average from month to month usually in the region of 150/77 with my heart rate in the mid 40's. My highest reading last month was 209/90

      My last 24 hour monitor at the surgery had a range of 101/76 to 172/94 but a very low average that day of 130/68 as I was on the go all day and exercise brings it down. Now that's the one that my GP and the hypertension clinic believe.

    • jane243
      jane243 sandra70591

      Posted

      I've been on meds for almost 2 yrs, initially on Ramipril then changed to 50 mg Losartan until late July at 6 month check up the 6 day average was 122/76. Dr reduced the dose to 25mg and in November 6 day average was 122/75. so little change with lower dose until mid January when next check up average was 130/78. February 131/77. The dr was happy enough as she asks for an average of below 135/85.

      I'm not happy though as I have started getting high morning readings, frequently <156> and low evening readings <115> which give a reasonable average. The diastolic are often over well over 90 as  well.

      These average numbers have risen due to my husband's illness over Christmas and i do worry, although when I see some of the numbers here I am perhaps worrrying too much.

  • margaret53068
    margaret53068 sandra70591

    Posted

    129/75 with taking the medication.  Before I started it was way too high  210/110
    • sandra70591
      sandra70591 margaret53068

      Posted

      Hi Margaret

      What a diference that is. With my medication at its best was always around 140ish/75 ish.

      What medication do you take at present and did you have any side effects. I want to go armed with as much info as I can . I know they are going to try and change my meds. I only take 16mg at present and after reading the leaflets it can be double that if required.

      From the way the doctor was talking he was looking to change to some form of double action medication.

      I have checked the side effects for the Vagifem and it does say may cause hypertension I am wondering if this has made things change so quickly.

      Thanks

      Sandra 

    • AlexandriaGizmo
      AlexandriaGizmo sandra70591

      Posted

      Hi have to smile at that, my other half has been on his bp meds about 19 years and he's on enalapril, possible side effect high bp, he has never had any side effects thank goodness.

      Seems like most meds now have to put down every little possible side effect.

  • margaret53068
    margaret53068 sandra70591

    Posted

    I am taking amlodipine and yes I did have bad side effects to start with have been taking them for seven months now and have just got used to them. Hot flushes palpitations dizzy sore eyes and slight trembles at times.  I now feel better than I ever have felt so maybe it is worth pursivering for a while
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